Iraq: car bombs kill at least 101 people in Baghdad

At least 101 people were killed and almost 200 injured when up to five car bombs were detonated in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

The blasts were aimed at Iraqi government buildings, police said.

The explosions rattled buildings across the capital, and undermined a fragile sense of security ahead of an auction of oilfield contracts this weekend, and followed the agreement in parliament on Sunday night on arrangements for a general election due in Feburary.

Three people died and five were wounded in a first blast in a southern Baghdad suburb, police said.

Others were killed and wounded in three or four more explosions in the city centre half an hour later, police said.